Golden State Warriors' Ekpe Udoh (20) shoots during their pre-season game with the Scramento Kings in Oakland, Calif., Saturday, December 17, 2011.

Golden State Warriors' Ekpe Udoh (20) shoots during their pre-season game with the Scramento Kings in Oakland, Calif., Saturday, December 17, 2011.

Photo: Lance Iversen, The Chronicle

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Detroit Pistons' Greg Monroe, left, looks for a shot against Golden State Warriors' David Lee in the second half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012, in Auburn Hills, Mich. Lee led the Warriors with 24 points in a 99-91 win. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson) less

Detroit Pistons' Greg Monroe, left, looks for a shot against Golden State Warriors' David Lee in the second half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012, in Auburn Hills, Mich. Lee led the Warriors with ... more

Photo: Duane Burleson, Associated Press

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Warriors: Monroe game shows what Udoh must do

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CLEVELAND -- There is a mountain of differences in the games of Ekpe Udoh and Greg Monroe, but the most telling difference might be in how their franchises talk about them.

The Warriors talk about how Udoh needs to develop. The Pistons talk about how much Monroe has developed.

"We know he's going to defend and block shots, but we need to see a little more," Warriors general manager Larry Riley said of Udoh. "He's played enough basketball that we'd like to see some growth."

Pistons coach Lawrence Frank said of Monroe: "Quicker than I thought we'd be able to, we're using him as a hub for our offense. You can see his confidence, rhythm and timing."

The second-year big men are linked because the Warriors selected Udoh with the No. 6 pick in the 2010 draft, one spot ahead of where Detroit snagged Monroe. Riley said he doesn't regret the decision because Udoh is a better fit for the Warriors.

"With draft picks, oftentimes you pick a guy and somebody two spots or 10 spots later ends up being a pretty good player," he said. "That's the nature of the draft. There are probably some people who would say they should have taken (Stephen) Curry earlier. Ekpe is going to continue to develop, he's going to get stronger, and we're confident that he's going to come into his own."

Coming off a head-to-head matchup with Monroe on Sunday in which Udoh had 10 points, six rebounds, four blocked shots and three steals, the Warriors' forward today against Cleveland could score double figures in consecutive games for the first time in his career. For just the second time, he could post six-rebound or four-block performances in back-to-back games.

By comparison, Monroe has logged complete months with scoring and rebounding numbers better than Udoh's best games. Monroe is averaging 17.2 points and 9.1 rebounds a game this season and has posted averages of at least 10.9 points and 8.5 rebounds each of the past six months.

"The thing for Ekpe is to be consistent. He's got to bring that energy every night," Warriors head coach Mark Jackson said. "It's a mind-set, it's understanding who you are, and it's understanding what's needed."

Jackson initiated a similar conversation with Udoh before the game against Detroit, begging the forward to play with great effort. As he has done in flickering glimpses throughout his career, Udoh responded by being a live-wire nuisance on defense while maintaining his patient offensive game.

He understands why everybody compares him with Monroe, and he catches himself doing the same thing - but Udoh longs for the day when everyone accepts that they're different players. He has a chance to become the rim-protector that the Warriors have sought for two decades, and Monroe is establishing himself as one of the more skilled offensive big men in the league.

"I'm just trying to build my game in ways that will help this team," Udoh said. "He's a scorer, and he puts up numbers that make you pay attention, but I've got to play my game. We're different players who are playing with different personnel on different teams, so I try not to pay any attention to it."

Monroe ranks in the top 10 in points, rebounds, assists and field-goal percentage among second-year players at any position and among Eastern Conference centers of any age.

He started posting big numbers after last season's All-Star break, getting points mostly off drop-off passes, offensive rebounds and rolls to the rim. Now, the Detroit offense is running through him, and he has proved adept at creating for himself and his teammates.

"The game has slowed down a whole lot, and I've learned how to make plays and find easy buckets," said Monroe, who had 25 points and eight rebounds against the Warriors.

"I'm not really surprised, because I think I'm sticking to things that I'm capable of doing. I'm just getting the opportunity to show what I can do."

And getting the chance to show how different he is from Udoh.

Big men under a microscope

Warriors power forward Ekpe Udoh and Detroit center Greg Monroe are linked because they were selected Nos. 6 and 7 in the 2010 NBA draft. Here's a look at how their careers have progressed: